Acknowledgments The current author would like to acknowledge B U. K. Li and Katja Kovacic for their significant contributions to the previous version of this chapter. It is accepted that the ability to vomit developed as a protective mechanism to…
† Deceased Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs, also known as disorders of gut–brain interaction) are common in children of all ages. More than half of new patients attending a pediatric gastroenterology clinic meet symptom-based criteria for an FGID. FGIDs are associated…
Introduction Chronic abdominal pain, generally defined as long-lasting intermittent or constant abdominal pain, is a common complaint in children and adolescents. For the majority of children with chronic abdominal pain, the pain is functional in nature rather than the result…
The portion of the immune system resident within the intestine faces significant challenges. A single layer of epithelium separates the majority population of the host’s immune cells from a massive number of bacteria. It is therefore probably not surprising that…
Introduction The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract represents one of the largest interfaces between the host, environmental factors, and antigens. In addition to food and liquids, an abundance of environmental microorganisms and xenobiotics pass through the GI tract daily, posing a…
Introduction Bile acids are essential in the processing of dietary lipids and serve at least four major functions: (1) Bile acids aggregate and form micelles in the upper small intestine, which help to solubilize lipolytic products, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins,…
Introduction The gastrointestinal (GI) tract performs the essential function of receiving, digesting, and absorbing nutrients from our diet. Digestion is the mechanical and chemical enzymatic breakdown of the food we consume. Absorption is the mobilization of digestion products across the…
Introduction In this chapter we will describe the process of how a complex three-dimensional digestive system with regional differentiation stems from a primitive endodermal tube-like structure. The dramatic cellular and molecular changes seen in gastrointestinal (GI) development guide our understanding…
Pancreatitis Acute pancreatitis is an example of a disease process possibly affected by method of feeding (total parenteral nutrition [TPN] versus total enteral nutrition [TEN]). In a prospective study of 54 patients with acute mild pancreatitis, catheter sepsis was 10…
Demographics Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The number of obese persons increased by 34% from 2000 to 2016. Nearly 40% of adults and 18% of children are now obese. In Hispanic and black populations, the prevalence…